A Brim-Filled Team-Spirited Oldham House Camp

3 May 2021

This year, due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, House Camp 2021 was definitely different. We could not do things the same way, but we learnt to adapt. Like always, we did not let today’s common phrase “COVID-19 pandemic” stop us from having a good time. To be honest, the Year 5 leaders organised it really well to make it seem like we were in “ordinary” times.

We participated in multiple creative games. The first activity was to create a picture shaped as “OLDHAM”. Except as a twist, we had to work together and use our bodies to create this sign with an organising leader. It was a special way for the House mates to represent themselves as part of the Oldham family through unity, working together and with each other. There was a picture-taking competition between the various teams where we had to find landmarks all over school to take crazy pictures.

Along with that, we also participated in a unique game inspired by Monopoly. However, after each time the dice was rolled, we were faced with a trivial question. The egg drop was a game of which we hoped the eggshell would be made of steel… We were equipped with various recyclable materials as well as a few necessities such as tape. After using bubble wrap, paper cups, popsicle sticks, cotton balls, etc., we had to finally drop “the egg” from the second floor. We crossed our fingers and hoped it wouldn’t crack. The escape room was a great activity that followed. We had to use our brains more than ever to come up with solving the tricky riddles and retrieve the lion stuffed toy. Another activity required us to design a paper airplane using our crafty skills. A favourite of many however was dodgeball using water balloons. Surrounded by water balloons filled with ice cold water and House mates who wanted to throw them at us, we had to make it through the round without getting wet or hit.

After prizes were given out to teams and a video containing all the memories trapped in the pictures was shown, dodgeball was how some of us ended the day as well. Several students and a couple of teachers such as our very own Head of House Miss Georgie surprised all of us with a welcoming of newly water- filled balloons in the basketball court.

We wrapped up the exciting day by cleaning the halls. And we did a good job of it, if I might add. It appeared as though nothing took place. But as we left the school that Saturday morning, only students from Oldham House would know of the newly found friends and the memories we were leaving behind.

Sara Attal, 2 Oldham